A month ago, ISKM Dallas devotees got to know that there was a big event planned on Saturday, June 25th 2022 which is the marriage ceremony of Lord Venkateshwara and his consorts in a big indoor stadium in the Dallas suburbs. The program was arranged by TPAD (Telangana Peoples association of Dallas) and the ceremony was conducted by TTD (Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam). The deities and priests came from Tirumala and Tirupati.
Around 10,000 people attended the program and by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, ISKM Dallas devotees were asked to cook Prasadam for 10,000 people. They were provided with all the groceries, a space (behind an Indian restaurant) for commercial cooking and some volunteers. With the mercy of HDG Srila Prabhupada and blessings of HG Sundar Gopal prabhu, the devotees took over this project of mass cooking.
The prep work started 3 days before the program and the entire cooking had happened overnight from 10 PM(Friday) to 10 AM (Saturday). There were few volunteers (around 15 to 20 people) who were constantly working throughout the night to make this happen. There were SO MANY challenges and hurdles, however it was by HDG Srila Prabhupada’s mercy and the blessings of HG Sundar Gopal prabhu which made the impossible possible.
The devotees also got an opportunity to cook for the deities separately and offered few traditional temple paraphernalia as well. As the cooking was still in progress, the program started at 7am and there was our book distribution team who went to the event center to distribute books & flyers. The devotees met many people who were interested in the programs and hopefully they are able to attend in the future. We request all the devotees to please pray for them to come to the programs by ISKM Dallas and become Krishna conscious.
ISKM DALLAS team would like to thank HG Sundar Gopal prabhu personally, who although was after surgery and recovery, gave us his blessings for this endeavour. The devotees pray that Prabhu quickly recovers and be able to travel to Dallas and give them his personal association.
Cooking for 10000 people is not an easy task that too with little support of 15 volunteer. Baladeva Vidyabhusana prabhu is definitely a person of less talk and more work. All glories to his tapasya, preaching, dedication and devotion. And we can’t forget the support he gets from temple devotees and congregation.
But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Pṛthā – for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
Bg 12.6-7
The devotees would like to take this opportunity to introduce a sincere potential Bhakta Ben. Although he was Baladeva Vidyabhusana prabhu’s neighbour, he had never met him but somehow @Manu Dasa prabhu met him when he was knocking my door for Mangala Arati.
Bhakta Ben has been practising Buddhism for 4 years and some martial arts, and hence he is aware of Lord Buddha and Krishna etc. The day the devotees met him he attended the morning program and did service for their Sunday Love Feast cooking for 6 hours. He was impressed with the devotees and the Prasadam made him to join the devotees again for cooking for 10,000 people overnight.
He was like Bheem – he was constantly lifting heavy weights like cooked containers and pots, moving heavy stuff etc. Throughout the night everyone was calling out his name for the help. He constantly worked for 10 hours straight without any rest. Without any Vaishnava philosophical background he was doing great service. I request all devotees to please bless him to be the next American body Vaishnava which will be a great breakthrough to the American Chapter of ISKM.
Bhagavatam 8.5.48
Activities dedicated to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even if performed in small measure, never go in vain. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being the supreme father, is naturally very dear and always ready to act for the good of the living entities.
